A Journey Through Memories

All right, it's time for Re:Zero again this week! Last time, after seeing the results of Subaru breaking his promise, Emilia fired back hard at Echidna's snide remarks. What will happen today? Stay tuned!

This opening is probably a scene that anyone who watched "Frozen Bonds" vaguely remembers. If you want to know more, definitely check out "Frozen Bonds"! If you want even more detail than that, wait until the original story gets to around arc 10!

With her contract with Puck severed and the seal on her memories opened, Emilia is facing the "Trial" with a very different resolve. That first exchange showed just how incredibly faithful the recreation was, and how Echidna's lack of stamina was directly affecting it.

By the way, Echidna said Emilia had "gone too deep into the dream," but the reason that happened unconsciously rather than on purpose is because she and Emilia are so compatible. Which is also exactly the kind of thing that makes Echidna frown.

It's called the "Princess Room" because Emilia was treated as a "princess" by the elves of the village. It's not just because she's cute. Though being cute is one of the reasons.

Emilia's parents were a half-elf couple, with an elf father and a human mother. Mother Fortuna was her father's younger sister, so in terms of family relation she'd be Emilia's aunt, but apparently she absolutely hated being called that.

Mischievia.

Sneakyria.

People dressed in a way that feels familiar somehow, and someone with color features that also feel familiar somehow.

Taking into account how many years Emilia was asleep, you can think of this as something that happened roughly a hundred years ago. Back then, the people called the "Witch Cult" were involved in activities like this too. What happened over those hundred years, I wonder.

I thought this when I actually had the chance to line up the elves and the Witch Cult people together, but elves really are a beautiful bunch. Compared to them, the Witch Cult people have faces that feel very humaaan.

Fortuna says "sooo," and Emilia picked up that verbal habit from her.

Flusteria.

Emilia had to make sure no one found out she'd gone outside. The minor spirits healed the scrapes on her face and knees, but there was no hiding the dirt on her clothes. All right! Dump paint on myself!! That choice of action already shows off her Emilia-ness...

Like pushing on a curtain or hammering a nail into bran. Nothing you say gets through, but seeing Echidna make that "gnnngh" face is, how should I put it, hehe, not a bad feeling.

Time passes, and these flashbacks to the past jump forward bit by bit. Roughly speaking, the image is that Juice and the others came to Emilia's forest about once every three months.

I won't say exactly what I mean, but all I can think is: Matsuoka-san is amazing...

This special forest where the elves live is the Great Forest of Elior, Emilia's homeland, and the place young Emilia discovered called "Fuin" is in an even more special environment within that forest.

Inter-Subaru.

As for Subaru's actions last night, it went: "promise to hold Emilia's hand" -> "hear about Garfiel-related matters from Ryuzu Shima" -> "the love letter at the Tomb" -> "come back in the morning, find Emilia gone, and panic."

Also, young Emilia's difficult words are written in katakana, like "DATSUGOKU" and "GAHAKU."

Juice is moved to tears in front of young Emilia, but for various reasons he had sworn never to meet Emilia. That has to do with a debt of gratitude from his past, but it's not something young Emilia could understand.

"Even if I did that, I'm sure Subaru would forgive me" is unconsciously pretty provoking, isn't it!

Up to the previous episode, Emilia was witnessing what happened in the "Trial" without seeing the prior story with Fortuna and Juice. The reason that wasn't the case this time is, roughly speaking, because the factor sealing away those earlier memories was removed, expanding the recreated past.

The reason Emilia values promises so much is, of course, partly because she's a spirit arts user who forms contracts with spirits, but an even bigger reason is conversations like this one she had with Mother Fortuna. But because Emilia couldn't remember this, all that remained was a strong aversion to breaking promises.

I won't state her exact age, but well, she's an elf, so she has a very long lifespan.

We're already at the ending, but isn't it amazing how adorable little Emilia was the whole time? I certainly thought so.

And then there's this ending!

Now then, an uninvited guest is coming! Not just the first time, but the second time too, an unwelcome one!

Aaaah! Regulus-saaaan!! Turn right around and go home!!

Thanks again for joining us this week for a broadcast without commercials, and thanks as well to everyone involved! Well then, until next week! Watch closely to see what happens in the Great Forest of Elior!

A bit late to mention this, but if Echidna hadn't taken away Emilia's qualification to challenge the "Trial," she could have forcibly invited her to the tea party and stopped her from writing that love letter. Instead, it ended with Echidna having to watch them show off how lovey-dovey they are.